The Akashic Record
by Sora G. Silverwind
Summary: In the beginning, there is always the Void. A mythology in four movements.
1. Sonata of Birth

**The Akashic Record**  
**by Sora G. Silverwind**

**Summary****: In the beginning, there is always the Void. A mythology in four movements.**

**Rating****: PG.**

**Author's notes****: Writing up my own version of the mythology presented in TSA. Because I can. And also because distorting the facts is fun. Some of this, particularly with regards to the fate of the awesometastic Elemental Knights, will show up in **_**Fateful Meetings**_** and its sequel, **_**Darker Side of Light. **_**Retconning of minor (or major?) details from here in those two fics is likely and should be expected.**

**Any lapses in the internal logic and philosophy of the mythology contained within can all be explained by the fact that it is in the Akashic Record, and therefore it **_**must**_**be true and perfect. Really. For serious. It are a fact.**

**Disclaimer****: ...blah, blah, blah, and I highly doubt you can understand the not-so-subtle art that is warping the canon beyond belief. (/Professor Snape impression)**

**Special thanks to****: Excessive time at home, generally being a little out of touch with reality, and Le Petit Ecolier dark chocolate biscuits. Oh, and Dante, of course. (No, no, not the Inferno guy. This Dante is more awesome, because he likes Bomberman and the other Dante doesn't.)****And Dew? Always Dew. **

B-O-M-B

**I. Sonata of Birth**

In the beginning, there is always the Void.

You seem surprised at my phrasing. "There is _always_ the Void," you ask? I assure you, I am being deliberate with my words. This universe is not the first that has existed, nor will it be the last. Do not ask when this universe will end; that is not within my realm of knowledge. But this I do know: that in order for a new universe to exist, the old one _must_ be destroyed. The slate must be cleaned and primed before something can be drawn anew upon it. There must be nothing of the old to taint the new if Balance is to be kept. The Void must be more neutral than neutral; it must be more nothing than nothing. It exists as non-existence so that existence may exist.

Before the beginning, there was the Angel of Creation and Judgment, who is also called, in the celestial language, _Bha'ratha ui Sahirakaenayu – _the Angel of Shadow and Light, Overseer of Blasphemy and Holiness. It is She who remakes and recreates the universe to keep the Balance. For the eternal tension and interplay of opposites as equal forces is the Way of things; it is in that cyclical conflict that allows things to truly exist and to be defined.

Now from Her realm, which is uniquely Her own and cannot be comprehended by mortals, the Angel looked upon the Void and deemed it fit for creation. And so She created chaos in the Void.

Out of chaos, the Angel created the Metamorphosis, which brought a measure of order to the chaos. With this, She laid out a Way of the universe, down to the smallest of the small. The Metamorphosis was not the stiff, unyielding Decree of the previous universe, but an amorphouse, dynamic creation that could evolve into things different from what it started as. Nothing was ordained by the Metamorphosis except the idea of change and evolution. There was no longer any such cosmic thing as Fate, aside from the preservation of the ultimate Balance; things happened when they happened, as they happened.

The Metamorphosis itself was woven from the threads of seven elements that the Angel had created: fire, water, air, lightning, earth, light, and shadow. Everything in this universe is made up of some combination of the seven elements. Fire, water, air, lightning, and earth are the material bases. Light and shadow determine the extent of sentient beings' proclivities towards good or evil, though they do not irrevocably define cosmic alignment. These seven elements were created in direct opposition to chaos the primordial element, which lies dormant and inherent in everything until its end, for the Metamorphosis is what traps chaos in order to shape it. When the nature of change dictates that something ends, chaos reclaims it until it is to be ordered anew as per the patterns woven into the Metamorphosis.

Once this was done, the Angel then retired to the realm of the holy that She had created specifically for this universe. It was called_Aeschai'del,_ the Aethyric Citadel. She saw what She had created, and was satisfied.


	2. Requiem of Balance

**II. Requiem of Balance**

I said before that the eternal tension created by the interplay of opposites is the Way of things; it is in that conflict that allows for things to truly exist and to be defined. None embodied this more clearly than the Angel Herself, for the beauty of Her peace was composed of the intertwined existence of two opposite consciousnesses.

One half was called _Mhea'lei_ – the arbiter of justice, Mihaele. She oversaw all that was good about the universe, all that was life and righteousness. The other half was called _Ist'harothi_ – the demon of the dark, Sthertoth. He oversaw all that was evil about the universe, all that was death and blasphemy. The resulting dialectic between these two opposites created all that was neutral about the universe.

Now the two had existed simultaneously within and without each other since before the beginning, coordinating Their efforts as the Angel to preserve the Balance. But Mihaele looked upon this new universe with some alarm.

"There is too much chaos that is tainted with darkness," She said. "This is not right. The Balance is in danger."

"It is as it should be," argued Sthertoth. "This is only the result of what We have woven into the Metamorphosis. We shall leave the universe be, and it will right itself in time."

But Mihaele distrusted Sthertoth. Already She saw the effects of the universe's growing tendency towards evil darkness, for She heard how pleased Sthertoth sounded with the present state of the universe. But Mihaele also conceded the logic in His words, and so She waited and observed the potential of the cosmos by His side.

The universe evolved as per the weave of the Metamorphosis. The chaos-tainted shadows, now tinged with evil, continued to permeate the universe.

Mihaele then said, "We must correct this. There is some fault in the Metamorphosis that will not fix itself."

Sthertoth was not pleased. "This is madness, Mihaele. We have only created this universe, and already You mean to destroy it? If You undo the Metamorphosis, You will undo the universe."

But Mihaele saw that, truly, He meant to keep Her from interfering with the blooming of the darkness, which was His domain. She could feel His ambition and thirst for power over everything – including and especially Her. And Mihaele knew that something had marred Their dialectic, that He could dare to think He could be dominant over Her, and She was offended.

"We can no longer be the Angel," Mihaele said, "for You have no interest in upholding the Balance. But whatever You may be planning, I will stop you and restore the Balance."

And thus the Angel was ripped in two as Mihaele wrenched Herself away from Sthertoth.


	3. Ballade of Struggle

**III. Ballade of Struggle**

This is the story of the Primordial Celestial Clash.

When Mihaele severed Her ties with Sthertoth, thus splitting the Angel in half, the harmony between their two opposing forces was shattered, and the result was cosmic war. While Sthertoth was still inebriated on the thought of finally ruling a universe of evil and darkness, Mihaele drew the seven elements of the Metamorphosis into Her own power. She merged parts of Herself with each element to create seven Elemental Knights – sentient embodiments of these powerful essences who would also protect the use of the seven metamorphic elements from evil.

From her left foot, she bore _Eistra dei Lur'aryl,_ the Crimson Flame. From her right foot, she bore _Mherdas ui Haayith Vrin,_ the Lord of the Frozen Wastes. From her left hand came _Mherdas ui Arylath,_ the Lord of the Winds; from her right hand, _Kta'mher ui Aeldayu,_ the Mistress of the Storm. Her stomach bore _Loi dei Tsandri,_ the Raging Earth. Her right eye bore _Ukkri'Ha dei Aenayu,_ the Purifying Light, and her left bore _Fre'Dashti ui Sahira_, the Prince of Shadows.

(It should be noted that, in truth, the celestial names of the Elemental Knights are gender-neutral, for the original knights that Mihaele birthed had no gender. But, as you can see, this tongue demands that some things be gendered. I have used the genders of the current generation of Elemental Knights as a guide for translating the names for you.)

You seem...perplexed...or perhaps mildly disgusted...by what I have described to you. Truly, it draws a rather grotesque image, the birth of the Elemental Knights. But surely you are aware of the varieties of birth all around you, whether it be a chick shattering its egg to the arrival of a human child from between its mother's bloody legs, and you see that such mundane moments of creation and life are violent and grotesque in their own way as well. I said before that in order for a new universe to be created, the old one must be destroyed. The relative violence involved in creating life and existence on more ordinary levels is merely another reflection of this truth.

Mihaele, desperate as She was, also tried to claim chaos for Her own power. But the seven elements were antagonistic to chaos, seeing as they had been created to balance and order it. Their combined power matched that of chaos in equal but opposite force, negating strength on both sides. Mihaele resigned Herself to leave it be. But with the help of Her Elemental Knights, the very powers that composed the Metamorphosis, Mihaele was confident She could disable Sthertoth and prevent Him from reigning supreme.

Now Sthertoth saw what Mihaele had done, and was furious. He created His own refuge, _Strhagha'del,_ the Infernal Citadel, and moved there. Without Mihaele to check His power, He planned to mold this universe as a domain of evil, encompassing and encouraging every imaginable sin and decadence. Power and bloodlust would rule, choking out the weak and forming a kingdom of the ruthlessly strong. He recruited and created monsters of all sorts: goblins, hags, ogres, vampyres, nephilim, and more. Among His top generals, there were the archdemons Abraxion the Selfstealer, Marchosastram the Wolfhearted, and Zagranist the Flamelord. And because Mihaele had left it alone, Sthertoth claimed chaos as His element, and rechristened Himself as the God of Chaos. Armed thusly, He struck against Her.

When Mihaele saw the armies of Sthertoth, She responded in kind. She created minor elemental spirits for each of the seven Elemental Knights to command: salamanders for fire, undines for water, sylphs for air, raiju for lightning, golems for earth, fae for light, and darklings for shadow. She also recruited among the angels and other benevolent spirits. Mihaele's top ranks included the archangel Thrice-Born Akariel, who had known existence in the demonic, mortal, and celestial realms; the seraphic twins Binah and Gevrah, representing understanding and judgment of the battles that were fought; and Eksasalel, who had eight arms with which he wielded his swords, along with a ninth sword that he wielded with his tail.

This war between Mihaele and Sthertoth lasted for four by forty by four hundred thousand years.


	4. Elegy of Victory

**IV. Elegy of Victory**

Now of course the period in which the Primordial Celestial Clash occurred did not completely consist of warfare. As each side won and lost in turn, they amused themselves by interfering in the affairs of the mortal realm, mostly for their own amusement, to distract themselves from this cosmic war as mortal soldiers might play at cards to pass the time between battles. There were rare times in which interfering in the mortal realm proved beneficial for one side or another.

But such stories are beyond the scope of this record, for there are many. I will tell some of them at another time, perhaps. Until then, I shall relate to you the rest of the Primordial Celestial Clash. Rest assured that I have seen the impatience in the tension of your muscles as you sit here listening to me. I will not relate the rise and fall of battle here. I know you are not interested in that. You do not desire minutiae; you desire broad brushstrokes that paint simple pictures over which you can impose your own details and call it divine inspiration to impress your fellow mortals. No, do not deny it: I know what you are here for. I do not judge you for it, I merely recognize it. So what you shall now hear is the story of Mihaele's imperfect triumph over Sthertoth.

The goddess and the demon had, overall, been at a stalemate for most of the Primordial Celestial Clash. It was only to be expected, for Mihaele and Sthertoth were equals in power, might, and pure determination.

Now Mihaele had been continually bothered that She could not control chaos the primordial element. She was a proud goddess who delighted in Her ability to bring order to things. Throughout most of the war, She had tried to find various ways in which She could harness chaos, feeling that it was the only way She could win this war. But because Sthertoth had marked the primordial element with His presence, chaos continually shunned Her.

"What shall I do?" She asked of Her Elemental Knights one day. "My alignment dictates that I cannot go anywhere near chaos."

"Goddess," the Mistress of the Storm said, "we, Your knights, are embodiments of the seven metamorphic elements. It is in our very nature to shape chaos. Surely we can aid You somehow?"

And Mihaele saw the truth in her words, and She conceived an idea. "Sthertoth has merged much of Himself with chaos," She said. "He believes that it has strengthened Him, but we may be able to use that against Him. We will trap Him within His own chaos and evil."

"Do You mean to send us to the Infernal Citadel?" the Crimson Flame asked. "We are not allowed there, and surely Sthertoth will not agree to our presence, nor does He have any reason to summon us. If He does not notice us there, the realm itself will reject us, for it is saturated with chaos."

The Prince of Shadows stepped forward. "Let me enter the Infernal Citadel. My element will allow me to blend in better with the realm and its inhabitants, and before anyone notices me I shall siphon the chaos from the realm into a dark, endless abyss, where not even I can touch it."

Mihaele had doubts about the proposition, but seeing the necessity of making the realm more inclined to accept Her presence, She gave Her permission and blessing for the Prince of Shadows to do as he had suggested. But although he had been correct in claiming that he himself could not touch the chaos that his black holes sucked in, he had failed to take into account the possibility that chaos could, being the primordial, pervasive element that it was, taint him and his element, marking both for eternity. This is why the subsequent incarnations of the Prince of Shadows have always been wildcards in battles between good and evil, because the first had sacrificed the purity of his element in this Primordial Cosmic Clash.

When the Prince of Shadows returned from the Infernal Citadel, Mihaele began working with the Elemental Knights on Her plan. She had them create the seven Elemental Stones, jewels of concentrated, unmarked elemental power that She could bring with Her into the Infernal Citadel without raising alarm and without leaving the Aethyric Citadel unguarded. She planned to use the Stones against Sthertoth.

The goddess' final solution will seem blindingly obvious and simple to you. You may wonder why She did not think of it before, and why it had taken Her so long to figure it out. But remember that Mihaele was fiercely proud of Her abilities. She had wanted to claim chaos for Herself only, and without help. She had lost sight of what the true goal was, and thus had forgotten that She had created those who would help Her, if She would only think to ask their assistance. Understand that this is the Way of non-mortals, and you cannot always understand them.

When Mihaele had finished preparations, She traveled to the Infernal Citadel alone to confront Sthertoth.

Sthertoth was very surprised to see Her. "How very interesting to see You here, My other half," He said. "Welcome to My gates."

"Welcome to Mine," Mihaele responded. "I am the Path to Purgatory."

And the Elemental Stones emerged from Her body and encircled Sthertoth. With some of the chaos cleared from the realm, it was possible for the Stones to connect directly to the Elemental Knights, who were still in the Aethyric Citadel, in order to channel their full power. Thusly, they trapped the chaotic creature that Sthertoth had become.

Mihaele said, "For Your sins, You will be trapped in the hell of Your own making until You repent."

Sthertoth struggled to break free, but the power of the metamorphic elements were already warping the chaos in His body to something entirely different, twisting Him and crawling out of His body like dark snakes that wished to choke Him. Knowing that His defeat was nigh, he spoke His final words to Mihaele: "You may have overpowered Me now, Mihaele, but I will deny You a perfect victory! I will curse the knights who have helped You do this to Me. As they are pieces of You, they shall forever dwell in pieces in the mortal realm, never to be fully Yours ever again!"

And Sthertoth sent a burst of chaos through the Elemental Stones, which were still connected to the Elemental Knights. When the knights were hit with this great power, they were flung from the Aethyric Citadel into the mortal realm. The force of Sthertoth's final strike shattered their power into countless pieces that embedded themselves into the weave of the Metamorphosis, and their souls were doomed to reincarnate in the mortal realm for all eternity until the end of this universe. Thus did Mihaele suffer great losses in Her triumph.

The power of the Elemental Stones had transformed Sthertoth's body into another jewel. To complete the seal, Mihaele wove Her holy power through the jewel, and called it the Celestial Stone, for it was an embodiment of the entirety of celestial power: the seven metamorphic elements, chaos the primordial element, and the essences of cosmic good and evil. Then Mihaele carefully hid all of the Stones in various parts of the universe, to ensure that they could not come together again and undo what She and Her knights had done.

With Sthertoth imprisoned, Mihaele rested, awakening only to answer to cosmic threats, at which point She searched out the souls of Her knights, wandering the mortal realm in mortal forms, and Called them to Her aid once again. But even such threats did not completely oppose the essence of Her goodness that permeated the universe, and the Balance eventually shifted too far towards cosmic good. The universe was headed towards complete stagnancy. Given these conditions, the Metamorphosis produced the pattern of the circumstances that would lead to the release of Sthertoth from His hell, which would lead to the merging of Mihaele and Sthertoth into the Angel once again.

But that is a story for another time...and a story you probably already know.

B-O-M-B

**Review if you will, flame if you must.**

**-Sora G. Silverwind**  
_**why do we crucify ourselves every day?**_


End file.
